Mamata fulfils promise, takes back Singur land

A Tata Motors spokesperson said: "We are not aware of such a development and we do not want to make any comment unless we have studied the ordinance."

"I have no idea.

"There has been no communication from their side. I feel sorry for the farmers because the land they will get back cannot be tilled," said Sona Koyo Steering Systems chairman and managing director, Surinder Kapur. Sona Koya is one of the 54 vendors.

When Banerjee started the agitation against the Nano factory in 2006, she had demanded the return of 400 acres, most of which was in the vendor park spread over 290 acres.

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Image: Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee along with a few other leaders at the dharna site, Singur.Photographs: Dipak Chakraborty

Mamata fulfils promise, takes back Singur land

Asked if he would explore legal options, he said, "We will have to go through the ordinance." A legal expert said an ordinance could always be challenged.

"The government probably believes that the earlier acquisition by the Left Front government does not have legal sanction.

The government, through the ordinance, wants to ensure that the land belongs to it so that it can give 400 acres back to the unwilling farmers," said Dipankar Dasgupta, former professor of economics at Indian Statistical Institute.

Mamata fulfils promise, takes back Singur land

The earlier Left government had said the disputed land was much less than 400 acres.

"Those who lost 244 acres did not take cheques. Of this, many had disputes over ownership and some did not have titles. So, who will get back the 400 acres?" asked a Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader.

Leader of Opposition and Communist Party of India-Marxist leader, Surya Kanta Misra, said the move was unconstitutional as the House was in session.

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Image: Mamata Banerjee at a protest rally in Singur.Photographs: Reuters

Mamata fulfils promise, takes back Singur land

While Karnataka does not have an example of government allotting land for industries and then taking it back, there are some instances where the state has taken back close to 500 acres during the past three years.

"Some companies who got land for projects were sitting on it for 8-10 years.

"We have taken back such land," said Murugesh R Nirani, minister for large & medium industries, Karnataka government.